yaakov doe- But since Heschel allied himself with the conservative moment (by teaching at their flagship school), he is partly responsible for “what they have become” today. Maybe if he had more strongly pushed his apparently frum views, JTS would now be a real torah center.

It’s nice to talk in the abstract about which particular presidents and parties are bad or good, but I want to hear from y’all about how Obama has impacted YOUR life negatively or positively, and how voting republican or democrat has affect YOU on a personal level.

I don’t care much for politics, but I have Obama to thank for letting me stay on my parents’ health care insurance plan until I’m 26. Also, I know a few people with complex diseases (like many kids at camp simcha, hasc, etc) who are so grateful that obamacare eliminated the 1 million dollar lifetime “cap’ that used to exist on how much insurance you could have. Regardless of his other failings, I’m so happy Obama was successful here.

nicha lei l’inish does not apply if the cheftza would be irreparably damaged by someone else’s use. I think the mishnah berurah has an example that you can’t take another guy’s sefer cause your using it would devalue the sefer. In this case, not only is the food devalued, it doesn’t exist! So it should be assur from that angle.

why do you keep posting mekoros to back up your position long after people have stopped debating you. mima nafshach, either you’re just right, or people find you so annoying that they don’t engage you in conversation anymore.

voz is a patroines?

Another classic one is how do we know that other people think?

haktan- if so many gedoilim were against it, then why would rav shkop zt”l step foot in YU, let alone accept a teaching position there?

if anyone starts to look for hora’ah in english literature, then I guess they will.

akuperma- So say Israel’s military victories are nissei nistar.

In other words ‘do I have to be consistent and not hypocritical.’

Wow that got crazy. Sm29 was just trying to make a distinction between MO and yeshivish communities in LA. Yes, they could have said it better, but you being a smart person should have understood what they were trying to communicate and shouldn’t have incited sinah with such an angry post.

That said, golfer’s personal anecdote is nice, but has nothing to do with emes. You think you’re promoting unity by claiming to be from a mixed family, but then defeat that purpose by claiming that its davka MO people that insult others. If you were really honest and fair, you’d be modeh that both chareidi and mo people can be demeaning of others- it’s not a hashkafah problem but a human problem. At least the MO don’t accuse chareidim of being apikorsim, amalek, and sonei Hashem. It’s probably less bad to make fun of a minhag than to call another Jew an oved avodah zarah (see Hakatan’s posts, l’mashal).

You need to figure out the answers to some additional questions before we can give you suggestions that will actually be helpful and not just waste your time.

1. Do you want to be in yeshiva with Americans, Israelis, or both?

2. Do you want to go to a hesder yeshiva like kby/shaalvim, a more chareidi but still relaxed place like toras moshe or beis yisroel, or a really serious top-notch chareidi yeshiva like kol torah/brisk?

3. Do you want to go to a place where there are a lot of rules, the rebbeim have strict control over your behavior and choices, and you can’t leave to go out, or do you want to go to be in a more relaxed place?

4. Do you want to learn gemara 3 seders a day every day, or are you also interested in lots of trips and eating pizza?

To answer your question, I know a rebbe at yishrei lev who is incredible, but don’t know any of the bachurim there.

Simcha- Are you intentionally misunderstanding popa? He clearly stated a few times that he is happy for all that has happened to Israel and the miracles of the war but upset that apikorsim get to be metamei our mekomos kedoishim. One does not override the other- they are both reality!

Seems to me that just like Adam in gan eden, we also have a chiyuv ‘liovda ulishomra.”

Sorry to disappoint the Gemara flat out says ein soimchin al hanes. There are real reasons to stay in learning though- maybe figure them out before you decide!

Popa: You’re partially right. The current situation at the kosel is definitely not the ideal that Hashem has in mind for us during the geulah sheleimah. However, we should be very afraid of committing Chizkiyahu’s mistake by NOT praising hakadosh baruch hu when it is appropriate and timely- lest we lose all the beautiful gifts of mekomos kedoshim, kivrei tzadikim, and every inch of eretz hakodesh that He has gracioulsy given to us. As the saying goes, you’re only grateful for something once you lose it. I hope Hashem never has to teach us that lesson….

We are koneh the Torah by having emunas chachomim. Of course you should listen to one who is greater than you in learning, if discussing a shailah or Torah topic.

I don’t chap why patur and pulsing feel the need to disparage an entire system of learning and all the big talmidei chachomim who are a part of it. Why do you have to be whiny? Patur- you are clearly a talmid chochom, so go teach shiurim and chaburos instead of posting here and criticizing other peoples’ talmud torah. Or at least, post divrei torah here, not random seforim backing up your complaints against Klal Yisroel.

be’iyun helps you learn how to think like chazal, how to approach sugyos by applying chakiras/shas topics/your own chiddushim and other modes of analysis. If all you do in learning is race through sugyos, it will be harder to achieve real ameilus batorah since you’re only trying to cover ground and not focusing on keeping track of all the deios or chapping a machlokes rishonim.

DY-

what sort of chinuch would you need to make people stop doing that? Do you mean a shiur from the rav about the importance of davening, locking all the food up, or some other way?

If there is food available, people and kids will inevitably eat it, especially since no one had breakfast beforehand and davening is long on shabbos.

PAA- granted that ahava raba could be a birkas hatorah of sorts. but ahavas olam couldn’t- its already nightime and you should’ve made the beracha way earlier. that doesn’t seem like so compelling logic.

Does anyone really act in ways that are consistent with their beliefs ALL the time? For example, we frum folk all believe in Hashem, the truth of Torah, the obligation to do mitzvos, and the punishments associated with failure to do said mitzvos. Despite those strong beliefs that have been part of us since childhood and instilled by loving parents and mechanchim, we STILL make mistakes, disappoint Hashem with poor choices, and commit all sorts of aveiros. Why should you hold these goyish politicians to a higher standard then ourselves- indeed, we are all hypocritical. This is not a liberal problem, but a poshut fact of human life.

Syag- Unless your son’s rav is a musmach of YU (kidding) or relies on the daas yachid opinion of the chelkas yaakov, there really is no reason to be meikil regarding listening to ANY music unless one’s parnassah involves music or it would make one depressed to not listen.

C”V for you to assume that what I wrote are my “feelings.” Aderabba, I rarely answer halachic questions on the cr because I’m certainly not ra’ui lifsok yet. In this case though, I have learned clear mekoros found in the works of the Aruch Hashulchan, Rav Moshe, Rav Ovadia zt”l and most recently, Rav Belsky, who are all very clear that music is assur in all forms (including acapella except if there is no digital enhancement to the voices), since listening to music is a joyous activity and could probably lead to dancing or use of kli zemer. I’m more surprised than offended that you’d accuse me of dishonesty. neseiv sefer venechzi.

Could you clarify which Jews hou think are crazy? Lev Tahor? Frei Jews who don’t see the value of Torah/Mitzvos? People like little froggie who can’t take jokes?